


all the living are dead and the dead are all living

by weepingnaiad



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: And her ma, But Joanna's smart, Community: cottoncandy_bingo, Family, Gen, Kid Fic, M/M, Post-Star Trek: Into Darkness, Takes after her daddy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-14
Updated: 2014-10-14
Packaged: 2018-02-21 02:54:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2452031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/weepingnaiad/pseuds/weepingnaiad
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The war is over, and we are beginning.</p>
            </blockquote>





	all the living are dead and the dead are all living

**Author's Note:**

> **Beta:** As ever, hitlikehammers checked this over for me. Thanks, hon! I do fiddle even after posting, so any mistakes are all on me.

Leo took the tray with lemonade and cookies on it from his nan and turned toward the den where he could hear laughter and rustling all the way down the hall. He chuckled to himself, still pleased and so damned grateful that Jocelyn had allowed Joanna to spend the summer with them. Jim's recovery had been hard enough without the tension of negotiating for every scrap of his daughter's time.

As he reached the den, Leo stopped in the doorway and stared at the scene before him. Joanna and Jim had turned the den into a large tented fort using only pillows and probably every sheet in Nan's linen closet. Somehow, Leo didn't think his nan would care, not if the giggles coming from beneath the peaked sheet in the center of the room was any indication.

"Uncle Jim?" Joanna asked, her voice scratchy and a bit dry. The reason Leo had been sent off to 'buy provisions'.

"Yeah, Jo-bear?"

"Why is Daddy mad at you?"

Leo had started to move forward to join them, but Joanna's question made him freeze in his tracks.

Jim huffed out a grumbled disagreement. "Your daddy's not mad at me, sweet pea."

"Then why does he have that little line between his eyebrows like Nana?"

"Does he? I hadn't noticed," Jim's voice was shifting until it sounded like he was sprawling on his back staring up at the tent covering them.

"Don't roll your eyes at me. You're too young to start that!"

"I'm _eight._ And I know you know Daddy's mad. You pout at him when he's not looking."

"For one, I do not pout. Starship Captains do not pout." Leo could imagine Jim counting on his fingers. "For two, your daddy never hesitates to tell me when he's angry about something. So trust me. He's not mad."

More rustling could be heard, and then Jim said, "You don't have anything to worry about. Your dad loves you and that isn't gonna change."

"'m not worried about me. Imma worried about _you._ You were pretty sick when you got here. Still skinny as a post, like Nan says."

"Hey! I don't need you piling on! Two McCoy's are enough!"

"Is that it?"

"What?"

"Daddy's not mad. He's worried?"

Jim sighed. "Yes and no. I did something that hurt your dad. It'll just take him time to get over it."

"Did you apologize? Daddy always says that a genuine apology that you mean with your whole heart makes up for lots of mistakes."

Leo stiffened, breath held. "Sorta?" was Jim's answer.

"Sorta? How can you sorta apologize?"

"I'm sorry I hurt your dad, but I'd make the same decision again."

Leo's throat closed tight.

"Is that why you got sick?"

"Yeah, Jo-Jo. It was. But I kept your dad safe and saved a lot of other people, too."

"Oh."

The tent grew quiet and Leo didn't know how to move forward. He was stuck, caught between his anger and Jim's determination. The stubborn ass would drive Leo over the edge.

"So, have you tried giving him perfume?"

"Perfume?"

"Or flowers? Oh! I know! Jewelry!"

"Why would I get your dad those things, Jo-bear?"

"It's what Clay buys Mama when they've had a fight. He says if the perfume is 'spensive enough or the jewelry shiny enough, she'll forgive him anything."

Leo laughed aloud. He couldn't help himself. That sounded just like Clay _and_ Jocelyn.

Joanna stuck her head out of the tent. "Daddy! You got the supplies! Come in before the bandit steals 'em!"

"Bandits?" Leo asked as he handed the tray to Jim.

"Yeah, shush, or they'll hear you!" Joanna looked around the room, then tugged on his arm forcing him to get down on all fours so he could climb into the tent. 

Jim had done a good job on making the tent stable and not too cramped, but Leo still found himself sitting crosslegged, facing Jim, their knees bumping as Joanna crawled through a 'cave' that was actually the coffee table to make sure their flank was still protected. Leo couldn't meet Jim's eyes and instead kept his on where Joanna had gone.

"Bones?" Jim asked, nudging Leo's knee with his toe.

"Yeah, Jim?" Leo didn't look up.

"You really are still mad at me, aren't you?"

"Jim."

"I'm sorry I didn't notice."

"You're healing, kid. Sleeping most of the day away. No surprise that my frown lines that I did not know I had weren't obvious."

Jim chuckled, the sound raspy and low, making Leo's chest hurt when he thought that he might have lost that sound forever.

"I am sorry for getting us into that mess to start with, but I can't apologize for keeping you alive, Bones."

Leo sagged, his strings cut. He leaned forward, rested his elbows on his knees and put his head in his hands. "Dammit, Jim."

Cool, dry hands were on his arms, sliding up to his cheeks. "Look at me, Bones. Please?"

Leo looked up and met Jim's eyes. His breath caught as he saw the emotion in that gaze. "I'm…" Leo began, but he faltered as Jim scooted forward.

"I'm not going anywhere. My doc grounded me for the next three months," Jim said, his voice growing softer until it was the merest brush of breath against Leo's cheek.

Leo let out a harsh sob, then wrapped his arms around Jim, pulling him close. Jim reciprocated, his grip not as hard as Leo's but he was clinging no less tightly. "I got you. I am sorry for hurting you. I mean that."

Leo buried his nose in the short fuzz behind Jim's ear, then inhaled a few deep breaths to center himself. "I'm no less pissed."

"Right," Jim agreed, words dripping sarcasm.

"Don't do that to me again, Jim. Just… don't."

"I can't promise that, Bones. You know that. But I do promise not to be foolhardy or flippant. Your nan has impressed on me just how shortsighted that tendency is."

Leo pulled back and looked around the tent. "Jo?" he called out.

There was no answer.

"What's up?"

"We've been had."

Jim just looked at him wide-eyed for a few minutes and then his eyes narrowed. "Sonuva--"

"Jim!"

"Sorry. Your daughter is a chip off the old block."

"Don't look at me. She gets that from her nan and her mom."

"However. It was a good move."

"It was?" Leo's brow furrowed together and Jim lifted his fingers to press against the skin between them.

"Sure. We're talking about it, aren't we?"

Leo gave Jim a wicked grin and pulled him closer. "Think I'm done talkin', sugar," he drawled.

Jim shivered in his arms, but he threw himself into the kiss pulling a low moan from Leo.

"Ewwwww!" Joanna squealed from the tent's doorway. 

Leo and Jim broke the kiss, but Leo didn't let go of Jim. "Well that's what you get for pulling your little stunt, young lady."

"What?" She looked at Leo, her face guileless.

Leo had lived with Jocelyn long enough to become partially immune to that face. "You interfere, you live with the consequences." He kissed Jim on the lips one more time to punctuate his words.

Joanna just smiled at him, her arms crossed over her chest. "I'm not sorry."

"C'mere, you!" Leo pulled Joanna into their hug and Jim used the distraction to tickle her. The tickle match ended up spilling lemonade everywhere.

**Author's Note:**

>  **A/N:** This fills my cotton candy bingo square -- _pillow/blanket fort._ Title and summary from "In Our Bedroom After The War" by Stars as suggested by hitlikehammers. Of course she did. 
> 
> **Disclaimer:** These are Paramount and Roddenberry's characters used in the spirit of creative commons. I promise to return them with smiles on.


End file.
